• Energy Research

AbstractEnergy shaping is a remarkably effective control strategy which can be applied to a wide range of systems, including underactuated mechanical systems. However, research in this area has generally neglected actuator dynamics. While this is often appropriate, it might result in degraded performance in the case of fluidic actuation. In this work we present some new results on energy shaping control for underactuated mechanical systems for which the control action is mediated by a pressurized ideal fluid. In particular, we introduce an extended multi‐step energy shaping and damping‐assignment controller design procedure that builds upon the Interconnection‐and‐damping‐assignment Passivity‐based‐control methodology in a modular fashion to account for the pressure dynamics of the fluid. Stability conditions are assessed with a Lyapunov approach, the effect of disturbances is discussed, and the case of redundant actuators is illustrated. The proposed approach is demonstrated with numerical simulations for a modified version of the classical ball‐on‐beam example, which employs two identical cylinders, either hydraulic or pneumatic, to actuate the beam.

In this work we present some new results on energy shaping control for underactuated mechanical systems with high-order actuator dynamics. To this end, we propose an extension of the Interconnection and damping assignment Passivity based control methodology to account for actuator dynamics. This brings the following new results: i) a potential and kinetic energy shaping and damping assignment procedure that yields two alternative controllers; ii) a potential energy shaping and damping assignment procedure for a narrower class of underactuated mechanical systems. The proposed approach is illustrated with numerical simulations on three examples: an Acrobot system with a series elastic actuator; a soft continuum manipulator actuated by electroactive polymers; a two-mass-spring system actuated by a DC motor.

Abstract The paper proposes a direct method for transient stability assessment, which is more efficient than traditional time-domain simulation methods. To achieve this objective, a new bounded control law for the model of a power system is designed. This yields superior closed-loop transient performances when compared to those achievable with traditional automatic voltage regulators and power system stabilizers. The designed control law allows defining an energy-based Lyapunov function which is instrumental in assessing transient stability properties of the post-fault system. A case study on a single machine infinite bus power system model is presented to illustrate the merits of the proposed method.

Linear dynamics are virtually always assumed when designing optimal controllers for wave energy converters (WECs), motivated by both their simplicity and computational convenience. Nevertheless, unlike traditional tracking control applications, the assumptions under which the linearization of WEC models is performed are challenged by the energy-maximizing controller itself, which intrinsically enhances device motion to maximize power extraction from incoming ocean waves. In this article, we present a moment-based energy-maximizing control strategy for WECs subject to nonlinear dynamics. We develop a framework under which the objective function (and system variables) can be mapped to a finite-dimensional tractable nonlinear program, which can be efficiently solved using state-of-the-art nonlinear programming solvers. Moreover, we show that the objective function belongs to a class of generalized convex functions when mapped to the moment domain, guaranteeing the existence of a global energy-maximizing solution and giving explicit conditions for when a local solution is, effectively, a global maximizer. The performance of the strategy is demonstrated through a case study, where we consider (state and input-constrained) energy maximization for a state-of-the-art CorPower-like WEC, subject to different hydrodynamic nonlinearities.

Abstract Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have to be controlled to ensure maximum energy extraction from waves while considering, at the same time, physical constraints on the motion of the real device and actuator characteristics. Since the control objective for WECs deviates significantly from the traditional reference “tracking” problem in classical control, the specification of an optimal control law, that optimises energy absorption under different sea-states, is non-trivial. Different approaches based on optimal control methodologies have been proposed for this energy-maximising objective, with considerable diversity on the optimisation formulation. Recently, a novel mathematical tool to compute the steady-state response of a system has been proposed: the moment-based phasor transform. This mathematical framework is inspired by the theory of model reduction by moment-matching and considers both continuous and discontinuous inputs, depicting an efficient and closed-form method to compute such a steady-state behaviour. This study approaches the design of an energy-maximising optimal controller for a single WEC device by employing the moment-based phasor transform, describing a pioneering application of this novel moment-matching mathematical scheme to an optimal control problem. Under this framework, the energy-maximising optimal control formulation is shown to be a strictly concave quadratic program, allowing the application of well-known efficient real-time algorithms.

We provide a solution to the long-standing problem of transient stabilization of multimachine power systems with nonnegligible transfer conductances. More specifically, we consider the full 3n-dimensional model of the n-generator system with lossy transmission lines and loads and prove the existence of a nonlinear static state feedback law for the generator excitation field that ensures asymptotic stability of the operating point with a well-defined estimate of the domain of attraction provided by a bona fide Lyapunov function. To design the control law we apply the recently introduced interconnection and damping assignment passivity-based control methodology that endows the closed-loop system with a port-controlled Hamiltonian structure with desired total energy function. The latter consists of terms akin to kinetic and potential energies, thus has a clear physical interpretation. Our derivations underscore the deleterious effects of resistive elements which, as is well known, hamper the assignment of simple "gradient" energy functions and compel us to include nonstandard cross terms. A key step in the construction is the modification of the energy transfer between the electrical and the mechanical parts of the system which is obtained via the introduction of state-modulated interconnections that play the role of multipliers in classical passivity theory.